Automatic well-flowing device



March 4, 1930. A BOYNTON 1,749,124

I AUTOMATIC WELL FLOWING DEVICE Filed Dec. 1, 1927 l i I q; l 7 4 l A V 1 i INVENTOR A lexanaler 300026029,

BY my? a Patented Mar. 4, 19302' UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE ALEXANDER BOYNTON, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AUTOMATIC WELL-FLOWING DEVICE positioning of the pressure fluid control valve as fully developed below. 15 Other objects and advantages appear in the following specification reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the improved control device, portions of the as 20 sociated well tubingand casing being shown,

. Figure 2 is across section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,-

Figure 3 1s a detail perspective view of the foregoing flap or valve depressor.

The subject matter herein disclosed is asso-' ciated with the subject matter of other inventions of the sameseries, particularly in Case #15, filed. Nov. 21, 192 Serial #234,775 and Case #17 filed Dec. 10, 1927, Serial curved flap valve,' hinged ofl from the center of gravity and provided with a heel todepress a certain plunger or valve element. It is deemed .unnecessary to expound the mode of use and theory of the device down to the minutest details because that has been adequately done in prior disclosures. A brief introduction will be satisfied by the statement that both the pressure of the lifting fluid and the contribute to the controlof the pressure fluid.

Reference-is made to the drawing. The

well casing 1 and adjoining sections 2 and 3 of the well tubing are to be recognized at once.

The tubing-section 2 is screwed into one end of a portion 4 constituting one part of a' valved body; This portion is screwed or otherwise fixed at 5 to a second portion 6 of the valve body.

0 r A valve element or plunger 7 is situated #239,137 from each of which it difiers by a liquid column lifted by said fluid mutually.

Application filed'December 1, 1927. Serial no. 237,051.

and vertically movable in a bore or passage- ,way 9 formed in a lateral enlargement 8 of the lower body portion 6. The formation of the passageway includes a valve seat 10 with which a bevelled end of the valve element is engageable when the valve element is subjected to a predetermined difi'erential pressure.

Bores 11 and 12 in the portions 4 and constitute'a liquid chamber in the valve body. A slight curvature of the bore .12 affords an accommodation for the plunger 7 and the passageway 9 thereof without making the lateral enlargement 8 of undue size and without un duly enlarging the diameter of the assembly. A flap valve 13 occupies the bore 11 whence it is movable into a lateral pocket 17 by the combined efi'orts of an upward thrust imposed upon the valve element 7 b the pressure fluid as well as the velocity of t e liquid in the adj acent chamber. An extension 16 of the pocket .17 provides for hinging the flap 13 off center.

Aheel 15, included in the construction of the flap reaches into the extension 16 where it receives the pivot pin 18.- The heel iscapable of resting upon a shoulder 19 afi'orded by the exposed upper surface of the valve body portion 6. The free end of the flap rests against the far side of the bore 11 at the same 30 time. The flap is made concave at l tthereby to more nearly harmonize with the bore 11 especially when the flap is retired within the pocket 17 as indicated by the dotted lines. It is to be observed that the flap be- 35 comes larger toward the base or heel at which point the cross sectional aspect discloses the concavity 14 to be semi-circular (see Figure 2).

cent plunger end 21. The-latter is slightly spacedfrom the recess when the plunger or valve element is in resting position upon the edge of the inlet bore 22 in the bushing 23.

needof a spring-'toreturn the fla intoposi 9 3 A recess 20 1s mtended to receive the adjaapplications,

I pressures.

liquid I obtains whenever,.and as often as, the diflterthe chamber; and in tion in the adjacent bore 11 of tlieliquid chamber.

The operation is readily understood; It is assumed that the well casing 1 contains a fluid (gas or air) under pressure. It is desired to utilize thepressure fluid for the lifting of a column of liquid (oil for example) in the well tubing2, 3. Certain relative jcondition'sof the liquid column introducewhat is consistently identified in associated patent for example, Case #1, filed April 5, 1927, Serial #188,144, as diflerential As the thrust thereof upon the valve element 7- causesthe latter to rise,in the passageway 9 so that the end 21 lifts the curvedflap 13' with the heel 15 of which the plunger end has bynow come into engagement. The introduction of pressure fluid into the liquidofthe adjacent chamber in the valve body revives themovement of the liquid column, the upward movement or velocity of which tends also to lift the curved flap 13 and retire it in the pocket 17 from the path oi the liquid in the chamber;

When the Velocity of the liquid column I diminishes the flap or depressor 13 tends by force of gravity, to resume the original diagonal position across the bore 11. In following this tendency presses the end 21 and valve element 7 so that the latter disengages the upper seatlO, with which it may be assumed that engagement-has been made, permitting external pressure fluid to again flow into the valve body and well tub.-

ing to accelerate the upward movement of the column. A. recurrence of these acts ential pressure and liquid velocity diminish to a predetermined degree.

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a body having a conduit for the passage of liquid and a. communicating'pasv sageway for the introduction of lifting pressure fluid, and means respectively situated in ing independently and solely movable by the opposing effects of gravity and of liquid and pressure fluid impacts but mutually co-active or the control of .the

2(Apparatus of thevcharacter described comprising a body having a conduit for the passage of a liquid column and a communicating passageway for the introduction of lifting pressure fluid, a flap. hinged in the chamber being movable to various positions by variations in the velocity of the liquid column and by resulting variations in the effect' ofgravity. thereupon, and a valve element unrestrictedly operable in the passageway by the thrust thereupon of pressure fluid flowing through the passageway, the various .IlOllS positions by virtue of the pressure differential increases, thethe heel 15 of the flap de 1n the passageway the passageway each be:

pressure fluid flow through said passageway.

tion and gravitation in the opposite direction,

said flap'having a heel to tion of said valve element.

4. Apparatus of the characterdescribed comprising a body having a chamber and a passageway aflording communication between the chamber and. the "exterior, a valve element movabletoward a closing position in said passageway by the thrust of the pressure fluid thereagaiiist, and a flap pivoted regulate the posioli center in the chamber including 'a heel superimposed upon a portion of the element for the purpose described.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising a body with a chamber and a passageway afl'ording communication between valve the chamber and the exterior, a lateral pocket body and communicating a valve element movableformed upon vthe with the chamber, and having an end extending toward said pocket, a flap occupying the chamber and being capable of retirement into said pocket, said flap including a heel superimposed upon said end, and means by which the heel is pivotally mounted in said pocket in oil center relationship to the chamber.

6. Apparatus of the character described comprising a body having a chamber with a passageway afi'ording communication be- 7 tween. the chamber and the exterior, a lateral pocket formed in 'thebody including an extension both communicating with the chamber, a valve elementin the passageway having an end directed toward said pocket, a flap occupying the chamber but being movable into retirement in said pocket thus leaving the chamber clear, said flap having a heel superimposed upon .said end and the extension, and means by which the flap is pivotally mounted upon said heel'in said extension. r v A 7.- Apparatus of the character described comprising a body composed of two portions having bores which communicate to form-a chamber, a lateral pocket formed in one of the portions leaving an exposed resting surface upon the other portion, saidother portion having a the'resting' surface and affording communication of the chamber with the exterior, a

valve element" situated in the chamber having an end extending toward said resting occupying passageway terminating at surface, and a flap pivoted in said lateral pocket including a heel resting upon said surface in superimposed relationship to said end and extending across the chamber into resting position upon a wall of. the bore.

8. Well flowing apparatus comprising a casing and tubing for the occupancy of liquid to be lifted, and a lifting device incorporated in the well tubing including one member having a heel, which member is oppositely movable by the velocity of a liquid column and by the effects of gravity whereby said member assumes varying positions, and a second member which is movable in one direction by the effects of gravity and by the action of said heel, and in the opposite directionby the thrust of entering pressure fluid the various positions last assumed by the second member being controlled by said heel during the various positions of said first member. A

9. A valve comprising a body having a con- I duit and a passageway connecting the conduit with the outside of the body, a valve element operable in the passageway, and a flap operable in the conduit, having a heel pivoted close to the valve element so that the heel may bear upon a portion of the valve element.

10. A valve comprising a body having a conduit and a passageway connecting the conduit with the outside of the body, a valve element operable in the passageway, a flap operable in the conduit, and a heel on the flap adjoining an end of the valve element, being pivoted upon the valve body and havinga recess to receive the end of the valve element and affording a slight space between said end and the heel when the valve element is in a rested position, permitting-an unim peded preliminary movement of the valve element.

11. A valve comprising a body having a bore with a communicating lateral pocket, and a passageway connecting the outside of the body with the bore at said pocket, the body having a bore adjacent to the passageway communicating with the first bore but having a slight curvature to afford an accommodation for the passageway and an avoidance of an unduly large size of the valve body, a valve element operable in the passageway having an end extensible into the pocket, and a flap pivoted upon the body at one side of the pocket, having a heel co-acting with said end.

Signed at San Antonio in the county of Bexar and State of Texas this 9th day of November, A. D. 1927.

, ALEXANDER BOYNTON. 

